//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Morning // Story: The Neo-Equestrian Chronicles // by The Sorrow Of Joy //------------------------------// Goooooood morning Equestria! It’s another beautiful morning here in Manehattan… Jessica buried herself deeper into her covers to deafen the sound of the television. She would not have her Saturday morning ruined. From below, the soft sound of grease sizzling in the pan could be heard, followed by a powerful, sweet aroma enough to make even the fiercest dragon swoon in delight. Jessica, upon the arrival of the fragrance, was out of bed and downstairs in an instant. She sat herself down at the table, still rubbing the morning out of her eyes. She set her half-awake sight on The Equitem Chronicle lying on the table just out of reach. The newspaper was surrounded in a soft purple light as it lifted itself a few inches off the table, glide towards Jessica, and fold itself neatly to the front page. She was busy reading the cover story about a local DJ making it big in the Manehattan clubs when Donny set a plate stacked high with flapjacks next to Jessica. “Just the way you like them,” Donny said cheerily. “Thanks, Spike,” Jessica responded lethargically. Donny went back to the stove to make his own stack when something caught Jessica’s attention on the television. It showed a reporter standing in a familiar locale that she couldn’t quite name, and the banner below her read “POP STAR RETIRES AT ONLY 19”. She made the remote fly into her hand and raised the volume higher. “… Last night, pop star and international sensation Pinkie Pie declared her departure from the music industry only three days after the end of her Smile tour,” piped the reporter. “Pinkie Pie isn’t making music anymore?” Donny said over his shoulder, still flipping his pancakes. “Bummer. She was really good.” “I’ve never heard of her,” Jessica said. Spike quickly spun around and gave Jessica a look that made her flinch. “Are you serious?” Spike said in disbelief. “She was number one on the charts for Equestria for an entire year straight! Twenty singles, each a huge hit! Cover of Pony two months ago and even a few commercials!” Jessica shook her head. Spike turned away from Jessica in disgust to continue crafting his meal. Jess rolled her eyes as she redirected her attention to the television. “… The starlet has moved to this town, a little town in the valley by Canterlot, to live with her friend Henrietta Cake and her husband. She has requested that we not reveal the name of the town for personal reasons. This has been Lyra Heartstrings, MANE 6 News, back to you Marcus…” the reporter announced before switching back to a news anchor back at the studio. Jessica held the last image of the scenery behind the reporter in her head for a minute, trying to recall where she had seen it before. It was right at the tip of her tongue, yet she couldn’t quite place it. “Spike, where have I seen that building in the background?” she asked her chef. She received no answer. “Spike! Spike?” Jessica turned to no longer see the Dragon-half standing by the stove. Instead, he was by the door, slipping on his jacket and shoes. “Going somewhere?” “She’s here! That was Sugar Cube Corner! We gotta go NOW!” Donny said excitedly. “Hurry, Jess! Get ready!” “Calm down, Donny, who’s here? That ‘Pinkie Pie’ person?” Jessica asked, but her words fell on deaf ears, as Donny was already out the door. She marveled at how fast Donny could move when he was motivated. She took a big mouthful of pancakes before walking upstairs to get changed. As she left, the television flashed several images of an old stone monument with the banner beneath it reading: “10,000 YEAR OLD STATUE ON DISPLAY FOR FIRST TIME” The streets of Equitem were expectedly quiet and peaceful for a Saturday morning, with only an occasional jogger making their way down the street or the occasional muted sound of rolling thunder from passing Pegasi that seemed to break the calm of the little valley town. But today, of course, Donny also had to be the source of another disturbance. He ran through the streets like a bat out of hell. He toppled trash cans, rattled fences, bumped into innocent bystanders. Only when he finally reached the café did his mindless destruction come to an end. A smile grew on his red and sweaty face as he reached for the door handle, ready to meet the ex-idol. However, before he could even turn the handle, the door abruptly opened. Donny jumped back to avoid getting hit, only to lose his balance and fall flat on the cement. “Ow…” Spike said as he slowly picked himself up. Spike turned to face the now opened doorway, ready to give whoever opened the door a piece of his mind. But when he saw who was standing in the doorway, he stopped. She had a delicate figure, but still seemed to demand a presence. Her face was seemingly a picture of perfection that words simply did no justice to, and her purple hair fell down to her shoulders, curling slightly at the end. Seeing this new face at the door suddenly made him forget why he had come here in the first place. “Oh my! Are you okay?” said the woman in a concerned voice. “H-hi,” was the only word Donny managed to form, being caught off-guard by her beauty. “Uh, hello?” the woman said, confused. The two stared at each other for a few moments, Donny in a trance and the woman out of confusion, before Jessica appeared from around the corner. “There you are! Don’t run off like that!” Jessica said as she walked up next to Donny. “I hope he didn’t give you any trouble, Victoria.” “None at all, dear,” said the woman. She brushed her purple hair to one side flamboyantly. Donny suddenly snapped back to reality when he saw the two greet like old acquaintances. “Wait, you know her, Jessica?” Spike asked, breaking his gaze of Victoria. “I met her the other day when I went to go get my jacket fixed,” Jessica said. “She runs the boutique just down the block. You’ve never seen her around?” “Well, I would, but I never get to go out,” Donny said, shooting a look at Jessica. She rolled her eyes at him and instead redirected her attention to Victoria. “What are you doing here? Are you here to see this ‘Pinkie Pie’ too?” Jessica inquired. “Actually, she’s an old friend,” Victoria responded. Jessica and Donny gave her a surprised look. “What? Is there something on my face?” Victoria said. Her two companions shook their heads. “Well then let’s stop looking at me and let’s get inside!” Victoria said as she waved her guests in. “A few of my other friends are here too. Don’t be afraid to mingle!” The trio walked in to a group of four other women excitedly conversing. Jessica hesitated a bit, not liking the idea of meeting so many people at once. She had never really been good with meeting new people; whenever someone tried to keep a conversation going with her, she would unintentionally end it abruptly. “Ahem! Attention!” Victoria announced in a loud voice. The group stopped conversing and turned their heads towards Victoria and her two companions. “Everyone introduce yourselves to my new friend, Jessica!” A girl with pink hair shot out of her seat and was upon Jessica in seconds. “Hi! I’m Diana!” said the girl excitedly. “Are you new here? I don’t remember you ever being here! How long have you been here? Do you like it here? Who’s this little guy?” The assault of questions left Jessica a bit dizzy, but Donny stepped in before she could recover. “I’m Donny, but my friends call me Spike,” he said, trying to act casual, like meeting a celebrity wasn’t a big thing. Diana was about to release another bombardment of questions, but another girl rose from her seat and stopped her before she could start. “Slow down, Diana. Give her some breathin’ room,” the girl said. She extended her hand outwards towards Jessica. “Howdy! I’m Laura. Pleasure to meet ya!” “Pleasure to meet you too,” Jessica said politely. Jessica’s hand slipped tenderly into Laura’s and instantly regretted it. The Earthmover’s enormous strength had left Jessica’s hand utterly crushed. Jessica smiled meekly, trying not to look too much in pain, as Laura stepped back. There were two other girls sitting side by side on the couch conversing, yet they seemed too into their conversation to bother greeting Jessica. “Oh, pay them no mind, dear,” Victoria said. “You’ll get to know them soon enough.” Jessica was still slightly anxious, but deep down, she was glad to have made some acquaintances in this town. After all, who knows when you’ll need someone to watch your back?